Brace

It's that time again – the dreaded FCAT test is back. Students in 4th, 8th and 10th grade will be taking the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test Tuesday that helps determine a school's grade. School officials in Palm Beach and Broward counties said they've prepared their students to face greater stringency on the test after last year's confusion. "There's better communication on the state's part and better preparation on the district's part," said Nadine Drew, Broward schools spokesperson.

Medical marijuana will be on the ballot in November for Florida residents, and Coconut Creek is looking into the potential effects should the voters allow it in the fall. City commissioners voted on the final reading of an ordinance that will put a moratorium on medical marijuana — meaning any growing or dispensing facilities — for 180 days. The moratorium is not an indefinite ban against medical marijuana. The idea is to allow city staff enough time to look into the issues and figure out the best placement for those facilities in the city.

The official start of summer isn't until Wednesday but its steamy heat already is here. Thanks to increasing humidity levels, temperatures should feel like they're close to 100 degrees on Friday and over the weekend, particularly in the suburbs west of Florida's Turnpike, the National Weather Service in Miami said. "The heat index readings should be in the mid to upper 90s," said meteorologist Chuck Caracozza. Actual temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 80s at the coast, thanks to the cooling effects of a sea breeze.

Orthodontic braces are used to help position and align an individual's teeth. Getting braces is something that is typically seen as a rite of childhood. But many parents are unsure as to when their children should be fitted for braces. Although many children benefit the most from getting braces between the ages of 10 and 15, the American Association of Orthodontists as well as international orthodontic authorities advise that children should get their first orthodontic screening by the age of seven, when there may be a mixture of permanent and juvenile teeth in the child's mouth.

By Ethan J. Skolnick and South Florida Sun Sentinel, February 16, 2010

This time, Michael Beasley got permission. Friday night, the second-year Miami Heat power forward removed his knee brace during the Rookie Challenge in Dallas, then put it back on after Heat President Pat Riley relayed his disapproval through sophomore coach Patrick Ewing. Beasley wore it throughout Monday's practice, but learned Tuesday morning from team doctors that he wouldn't need it against the Philadelphia 76ers. Beasley injured his right knee on Jan. 27 against the Toronto Raptors and, after missing two games, returned to average 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in six games while wearing the brace.

South Florida will be feeling some side effects this weekend of the big snowstorm that blew through the Northeast this week, according to the National Weather Service. It's being called a high surf/coastal event, which means big waves will be generated as the storm moves out over the northwest Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said. By Saturday, swells will run 8-10 feet in Palm Beach County and 5-7 feet in Broward. The rough stuff will come Sunday, with waves of 10 to 15 feet in the Palm Beaches and 7 to 10 feet in Broward.

Greg Oden is braced for his return. Physically braced. With a physical brace. While Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra continues to down play when Oden's return might come, with the center sidelined by swelling since last Monday's five-on-five scrimmaging, Oden confirmed it will come in a cumbersome knee brace, after knee issues have kept him out of the league for more than three seasons. "I never wore one before. I never wore a brace before," Oden said of the bulky "releaser" brace.

Dear Dr. Donohue: I am a 73-year-old woman. I have osteoporosis pretty bad and I was told to wear a back brace. I want to know how long I should wear it - how many hours. Mine is very uncomfortable. - A.S. Dear A.S.: Usually, the patient should wear a brace when needed but try to need it as little as possible. Its main purpose is temporary comfort. If it causes discomfort, it is defeating the purpose. No question, braces can relieve or prevent pain, especially for osteoporosis patients, whose trouble can arise as a consequence of a brittle backbone fracture.

Miami Heat center Jermaine O'Neal has agreed to play in a brace when he returns from the hyperextended right knee that has kept him out of the past two games, including Wednesday night's game against the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills. O'Neal, who has had minimal knee trouble this season after playing in a knee brace last season, said he could return to practice as soon as Thursday, in advance of Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse. "It's still a little sore," he said of the injury sustained in the first quarter of last Friday's road victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Dear Beth: I have scoliosis, and I dreaded getting a brace. When I actually got it, it wasn`t half as bad as I thought. I`m telling you because so many kids worry it will show, or that their clothes won`t fit and people will make fun of them. A brace is made of plastic and foam rubber on the inside. It goes from the hips to just under the chest. It doesn`t hurt, and it hardly shows. I think other kids will be as relieved as I am. -- Anonymous in Cambridge Dear Anonymous: It was very thoughtful of you to write.

I just found out that both of my daughters will need braces. The cost of traditional braces can range from $3,000 to $7,000, according to figures from Embrace-It, an online braces resource for parents sponsored by Crest and Oral-B. If my son ends up needing braces, too, the amount we'll have to spend to straighten all three kids' teeth could cover a year's worth of college tuition at a state school. Unfortunately, our dental insurance won't do much to offset the cost. Some dental insurance plans do cover a portion of the cost of braces — typically 50 percent with a $1,500 lifetime maximum per child, according to Embrace-It.

Responding to two years of worker unrest at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the county is bracing for a possible work stoppage. Broward County commissioners voted Tuesday to have contracts at the airport rewritten to forbid disruption in services caused by "labor unrest. " The proposal, which will come back for a final vote in the near future, threatens to revoke the contract of a contractor or subcontractor that doesn't properly plan for a work stoppage and instead allows services to be impeded.

It was among manager Mike Redmond's favorite spring training drills when he played. To prepare catchers for collisions at the plate, teams would employ tackling dummies or padded cylinders about the size of a boxing heavy bag to simulate contact. "That's over," said Redmond, a former major league catcher. "All the funs stuff we got to do in spring training…that's totally out. " It's over because Major League Baseball by Opening day should have new rules in place eliminating home plate collisions.

Party like it's your birthday. That's exactly what West Boca sophomore forward Bridget Clark did Thursday. She scored both goals in her team's 2-1 win over Spanish River in the Class 5A regional quarterfinals at Spanish River. West Boca (16-1-3) will play at Douglas in the regional semifinals Tuesday. “Really, I couldn't have done it without my teammates,” said Clark, who turned her jersey number, 16. “Yeah, I may have scored the goals but they're the ones who set me up.” Clark's opening goal brought life to what was a tepid opening 20 minutes.

South Florida is finally feeling a big chill - and a big drop-off. After an abnormally warm December, temperatures were forecast to plunge into the mid 40s by Tuesday morning, the most frigid weather of the season. If that prediction holds, it would be more than 40 degrees colder than Monday afternoon, which was borderline hot. "When a strong cold front comes through, you see a dramatic drop-off like that," said meteorologist Evelyn Rivera, of the National Weather Service in Miami.

The nickname game has become a bore in sports, especially the NBA. Most players simply go by initials or some extension or abbreviation of their names. But at least one tandem goes by a fun moniker that has other players noticing, even the league's marquee name. "Their nickname is the 'Splash Brothers' for a reason," Miami Heat forward LeBron James said. James, of course, was referring to the Golden State backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Heat get their first look of the season at the duo Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Baysball has been reduced to Brace-ball. Twice unhinged in Oakland, the Giants are symbolically bound by the cumbersome brace on the right knee of Don Robinson, their hope as the starter -- and, they hope, the stopper -- tonight in Game 3. Like Oakland bats, the knee, and the season for San Fran, could pop on any pitch. Fate dangles by a weakened ligament. So are the Giants quaking in Shaky Town at their predicament down 2-0 to the mighty A`s? Are they cowering in fetal position under Roger Craig`s couch?

For Kevin "K.C." Chancey, 6, the victim of a rare disease that makes his bones brittle, Friday was a special day. He walked. Even so, K.C. had to be coaxed into taking his first step: He needed parallel bars, a special leg-and-body brace and a bribe. "I`ll give you two bucks if you make it here," said Matt Keller, the artificial-limb specialist who made K.C.`s brace, as he held a small robot 2 feet away from the Hollywood boy. K.C.`s eyes sparkled. Keller asked him to "waddle like a penguin."

Greg Oden is braced for his return. Physically braced. With a physical brace. While Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra continues to down play when Oden's return might come, with the center sidelined by swelling since last Monday's five-on-five scrimmaging, Oden confirmed it will come in a cumbersome knee brace, after knee issues have kept him out of the league for more than three seasons. "I never wore one before. I never wore a brace before," Oden said of the bulky "releaser" brace.